After the End
by ChalakChalak
Summary: When a new evil looms ahead, it will test Sakura and Syaoran individually as well as a couple.After series and movie. SS TomoyoEriol TouyaYukito
1. Chapter 1

Hey there. First chapter has been revised because of stupid mistakes. I own nothing except plot-- you know the drill. Please review and be nice!

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The air was becoming increasingly chilly as the days passed in the small city of Tomoeda. The trees were losing their flowers, their leaves were turning various colors of yellow, orange, and red. They littered the sidewalk, making one feel as if you were walking on a beautifully multi-colored carpet. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky but its warmth was not as strong as it had been before. Still, the days were nice if you had on a light jacket and was used to the changing seasons. Sakura Kinomoto was one of them so for her, the day was rather enjoyable. Her best friend was also used to the weather and currently, the two girls were sitting side by side on a bench in the park, doing nothing but talking.

"Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo in her sweet little voice, a smile on her face but a hint of worry sparkled in her eyes, "are you feeling all right?"

Nodding, Sakura smiled back at her.

"Yes, Tomoyo-chan. I was just thinking."

"Is it about Li-kun?"

Laughing softly, Sakura began to swing her legs in a childish way.

"Am I really that see through, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Well, Sakura-chan, it is only fair that you would be thinking of Li-kun when you had so little time with him."

Sighing, Tomoyo looked ahead, her face passive but she felt truly sad for her best friend. It seemed that the relationship between Sakura-chan and Li-kun was always stopped before it could properly begin. She wondered if they would ever end up happily together and if so, when?

"When was the last time you talked to Li-kun, Sakura-chan?"

Looking at the sky, Sakura replied,

"Yesterday, actually. He sounded well, if not tired. He's been training very hard lately."

Sakura reached into the pink and white bag, searching for something. There was nothing else to be said as she found the rice pudding she had been searching for. Handing the pudding and a spoon to Tomoyo, they continued to sit there until, at last, Tomoyo spoke.

"I'm sure he'll be back before you know it, Sakura-chan!"

Smiling gratefully at her best friend, Sakura nodded.

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan."

Quietly eating her pudding, Sakura remembered the two days she had with Syaoran as if they were yesterday.

-Flashback-

Syaoran caught her around her waist, pulling her body against his, making sure the momentum of her jump didn't thrown them both off balance. However, as soon as he caught her, the stairs magically appeared and her head lifted. Syaoran was ready to reprimand her but her emerald eyes met his amber ones and he felt breathless for a minute.

"Hi," said Sakura meekly, smiling shyly at him, her arms wound around his neck.

"Hi," he mumbled back, cheeks tinted with pink but his eyes were unwavering as he looked at her. His intense stare almost overpowered Sakura but she did not look away. Instead, she looked back at him with the same intensity, trying to let him feel the words she had spoken a few minutes ago. The air around them grew thick, the sun's rays grew warmer, and Syaoran inched closer and closer to her. She could feel his choppy breath on her lips, smell his scent, a unique blend of musk and light spices. She smiled as the idea of going to the mall to buy a gallon of Syaoran's scent popped into her head. Closing her eyes, she waited for that fateful moment, when his lips would finally brush against hers and then everything would be ok, everything would fall into place. Just a little while longer----

"You did it, Sakura!" screamed Kero-chan excitedly, hovering happily besides the couple. Startled, Syaoran jerked back, breaking the connection between them. Sakura turned to glare at Kero-chan, who was looking extremely excited and obviously did not notice what he had just ruined.

"Huh?" he looked back and forth, confused, "Are you ok, Sakura? You seem a little flushed. Must be all that excitement of card-capturing, neh!"

His face broke into a huge grin and Sakura couldn't help but to smile back at him. As much as she loved Kero-chan, his timing was extremely awful. Sakura turned to look at Syaoran, who was still looking down, his cheeks glowing brightly.

"Let's go, Sakura. Everyone is waiting–" Kero turned to look at Syaoran funny, "What's the matter with you, kid?"

Syaoran's eyes snapped to the guardian of the cards and glared at him.

"I'm just being annoyed by a flying hamster, is all."

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"You heard me, you little hamster–"

"Why, you insolent—"

Sighing, Sakura started going down the stairs, barely listening to Syaoran's distressed cries as Kero-chan turned into his larger form and began harassing him. She was thinking about what had just been interrupted upstairs. Her stomach had suddenly acquired flying butterflies out of nowhere and she had been painfully aware of all the parts they had touched. _Was love supposed to be that way?_ She had not felt that way when she had been in love with Yukito-san. In fact, with Yukito-san, she had felt happy when they held hands or even when she looked at him. But with Syaoran, it was different. The feelings were more intense, more vivid in everything they said or did. It's not that Sakura did not enjoy this feeling. In fact, once she stopped thinking so much, she would happily be overcome by such intensity. Nevertheless, Sakura knew of one person who would help her, no matter how confused she was.

"Sakura-chan! Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" said Tomoyo worriedly, her trusty camcorder pointed at her, recording every moment.

"I'm fine, Tomoyo-chan. Are you all right?"

"Now that I have recorded your stupendous victory, I am as happy as I could ever be."

"To-Tomoyo-chan," stuttered Sakura uncomfortably as Tomoyo began to laugh happily. She quickly pointed her camcorder to the scene behind Sakura, a glaring battle between Syaoran and Kero. Once outside, Sakura walked next to Syaoran, Tomoyo right behind them, recording every moment. However, as soon as Syaoran and Sakura turned to look at each other, she stopped recording.

"Why'd you stop?" asked Kero curiously, for it was well known that the only time the cameras stopped rolling was when Tomoyo was asleep or... well, was asleep.

"Because, Kero-chan, such a moment is special and intimate."

A confused look came over Kero's face but Tomoyo just giggled. A pink petal flew between the young couple and got caught in between their hands as Sakura reached over and clasped Syaoran's hand in hers.

Sakura and Syaoran both knew he had to return back to Honk Kong. In fact, after the sealed card incident, Syaoran had a two more days left. Sakura made up her mind to spend those two days with him and they went to the park often. They had long picnics without any major accidents, except for those few times when Kero-chan snuck in the basket and wreaked havoc. Even then, they would go buy some more food and spend the rest of the day walking around and having a good time. Though she had little time with him, she appreciated them and would hold them dear for those times when she missed him. When she said this to him, he nodded but she could see it was bothering him.

"I could stay here, you know."

Sakura shook her head, knowing very well he could not do that.

"You have responsibilities to your family, Syaoran."

Sighing irritably, he threw his hands up in the air.

"I know– but still..."

"No, Syaoran! Family always comes first."

Looking at her, Syaoran scoffed.

"Not when they don't care about the person holding those responsibilities."

"Hoe?"

Talking to Sakura as if she was a child, Syaoran explained it to her._ Selfishness for her must be an alien concept_, thought Syaoran, amused.

"Do you really think they care what I have to give up to be leader of the Li Clan?" started Syaoran sadly, "My childhood was full of training and nothing else. I did not spend my time as other kids do. Now that I am grown, my studies consists of strategies and leadership skills."

Sakura looked at him sadly as he told her this, she wished there was something she could do. As if reading her mind, Syaoran smiled at her and said,

"Don't worry, I'm not so sad now. I have a little Cherry blossom to keep me happy."

Smiling, Sakura had thrown herself at him in a Meilin-sort of way and hugged him, laughing as his hands surrounded her waist and picked a leaf out of her hair.

At last, the day of his departure came and with a heavy heart, Sakura went with him to the airport. Just like the last time, she stood there with him but unlike the last time, she felt her heart would break as soon as he got on the plane.

"I'll come back," he had promised her, his voice rough with certainty, "I'll be back before you know it."

Nodding, Sakura blinked her tears away and smiled for him. Syaoran felt his spirits lift as she smiled for him and bent to pick up his bag. He held his bag in one hand, her hand in other and nodded to Wei behind him as he told Syaoran it was time to leave.

"Bye," whispered Sakura sadly.

She turned to walk away, she could feel her fingers leaving his hand as she walked farther from him. Suddenly, his hand tightened around her fingers and pulled her back to him. Startled, Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as Syaoran bent his head and kissed the corner of her lips.

"We'll meet again, neh?" said Syaoran, a small but encouraging smile on his face. She nodded happily as he let her hand go and began to walk to the gate.

"We'll meet again, Syaoran."

-End Flashback-

A few months had passed and Sakura still talked to him a lot. He called her whenever he could or if he knew he wouldn't be able to call for an extended period of time, he would sent her letters. Whatever way it was possible, he kept in touch with her.

However, they were ten year old children trying to maintain a long-distance relationship. Not even grown ups could succeed at this. And so, it was with this weighing in her mind that Sakura had kept on living her life in Tomoeda. Her bright smiles were still there, her simple ways of making people feel better were untouched. But at moments like this, with Tomoyo at her side, s small cloud of unhappiness passed over her and there was nothing Tomoyo could say or do to make it go away. Tomoyo reached for Sakura's and held it, as little girls do trying to find comfort in a big world. Sakura smiled gratefully at her friend, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan."


	2. Chapter 2

Revised. Thank you, Miaka Kiri!

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Four Years Later 

Tomoeda was not the most exciting place to be at times. Now that her card capturing days were behind her, Sakura had to find other things to keep her busy. At only sixteen years old, she felt the best times in her life were already just a memory. She had loved capturing the cards, no matter how dangerous or risky it got. It became a sort of habit, an every day thing for her. Though at the beginning she had been unsure of her abilities, as time passed, she discovered she could be truly powerful when she needed to be. Not only that but she also had a blast being with her friends and making new ones. When she really thought about it, she knew she was extremely lucky to have been chosen by Kero-chan to be a mistook. It was dangerous, no doubt about that, but it had also given her the chance to make new friends, up to 52 of them.

Her cards were very important to her and she would go to great lengths to protect them. Once she was done capturing them, the only thing left to do with them was use them for Tomoyo-chan's sake. They spent many hours figuring out which cards they would use for that day's shoot, what costumes Sakura would wear, and how to defeat the 'menace' that threatened the city of Tomoeda. But even this got old and soon, all the cards were on tape, all costumes were used at least once, and the camcorder was not used again, except for special occasions.

Happy dreams haunted Sakura, happy because the dreams were of the days where action and adventure were a part of her every day life but also haunting because it had been so long ago, she had forgotten what it had felt like. The thrill was no longer there. She had gone back to being a normal girl, living a normal life– and still waking up late.

The alarm clock rang extremely loud next to Sakura but it did little to wake her up. She mumbled something, covering herself with her cover and snuggling deeper into her bed. The alarm continued to ring. Pretty soon, Kero woke up grumpily and floated to turn off the alarm clock. Sighing, he looked at the lump that was currently Sakura. _How was it that at sixteen years old, Sakura still could not get up on time?_

Kero floated on top of the lump and began jumping, happily singing,

"It's time for school, time for school, time for school, time fo–argh!"

Sakura bolted from the bed, her face panicked and _anxious._

_"_Hoe!What time is it?"

"It's late, Sakura! Ay, the alarm has been ringing for the last ten minutes."

Pouncing off the bed, Sakura squealed and ran to her closet, taking her clothes from the hanger and quickly running to the bathroom.

Kero shook his head. He used his magic to open her drawer and took out her small basket full of hair clips and ribbons. At the same time, the drawer next to it opened and the Clow book floated out and settles neatly on top of her desk. Sakura ran back to her room and quickly thanked Kero. She brushed her hair and started putting a ribbon to hold her back when her father called from downstairs.

"Sakura-chan, breakfast!"

"Hai!"

She opened the clow book and took out her Sakura cards. The clow book was no longer Clow's. Technically, it was hers but the mark of Clow remained there. He had created the cards, after all. She put the cards in her bag and closed it, swinging it over her shoulder.

"I'll be back later tonight, Kero-chan. I have practice but I'll bring some sweets from school. Tomoyo-chan made them yesterday."

"Whooo!" cheered Kero, settling himself in front of her television and gluing his eyes on the screen. Sakura said good bye to him, shaking her head as she left her room. She made it a habit to buy the guardian of the cards new games as often as she could. Now that things were at a stand still, he got bored very easily so it was up to Sakura to get him games so he could entertain himself.

"Ohayo!" said Sakura cheerfully to her father.

"Ohayo! Sakura-chan," said her father happily as he served breakfast.

"Ohayo, Kaiju," came her brother's voice from behind Sakura. Jumping a foot into the air, the insult reached her brain a little late. She glared at her brother as she sat in front of him at the table. He smiled sweetly at her, as if he had just called her the most beautiful thing in the world.

"I am not a MONSTER!"

"Well, you kind of look like one in the morning so I mistook you for one."

Truly growling like a monster, her hair began to blow back from an invisible wind and her eyes narrowed to little slits. Touya laughed at her face, making her even angrier.

"Now now, it's time to eat," said Sakura's father, oblivious (or at least choosing to be oblivious) to his two children. In fact, he enjoyed it when they were all together at the table. It was not often anymore since Touya had moved out a year ago. He was now living with Yukito and still attending university though he had many jobs at the side. The University had given him a lot of opportunities such as internships at the newspaper and even at a theater. Though Touya had not chosen his career yet, he was experiencing many new things, both with his jobs and with Yukito.

Soon, they were all seated at the table with a delicious breakfast in front of them.

"It's time to eat!"

Sakura happily gobbled the bacon and eggs and no one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Sakura spoke.

"I'll be a little late tonight, Otou-san, I have practice today."

"Sure, Sakura-san. But remember that we're going to the Tsukimine Shrine for the festival."

"Hai!"

"Maybe we should put a post it on her forehead so she won't forget," said Touya, his mouth half full of bread but his eyes shining with teasing merriment.

"Onii-chan!"

Her eyes traveled to the back wall to where the clock was. With a dramatic gasp, she jumped from the chair, anxiously announcing she was late. She strapped her skates on near the door and was half way out the door when her onii-chan called out to her,

"You sure you have everything?"

Looking back, she nodded at him, showing him her backpack. He gave her a pointed look, serious and very unlike him.

"Everything?"

Sakura knew what he was talking about. Nodding, she waved at him and skated off.

The day was beautiful, a little cold but nothing too harsh. The trees were not in bloom anymore but the colors were still beautiful. Colors of brown and red and yellow somehow reminded her of something, though she wasn't quite sure of what. As she skated, her thoughts went back to her onii-chan. He knew what she was by now, she felt extremely stupid for thinking he knew nothing. Like always, he made sure to look out for her and knowing how forgetful she was, he made sure she had her cards with her at all times. Sakura was older now and though she would never lose her child-like thinking, she had a better idea of how the world worked. She appreciated what he had done for her and still did, in fact. They had gotten very close even though distance separated them. He had stayed near Tomoeda for her safety even though many job offers came his way. Yukito-san had done the same. Now that they lived together, she got to see them more often. She often visited them and when she could not, they visited her. They did not live too far away but their jobs and every-day lives kept them both very busy.

Sakura loved it when they visited. She no longer felt saddened when she saw Yukito-san but she still got all dreamy at times. It was a habit and habits like those do not go away so easy. But now, her feelings were all good and happy when she saw Yukito-san, especially with her brother. They always looked so happy together, it was hard not to feel as happy as they felt.

Sakura passed her old school, slowing down to get a good view at it. Her eyes glazed over as tons of memories passed before her everywhere she looked. At the entrance where Yukito-san used to throw sweets at her or where Tomoyo-chan would wait for her, the camera steady and ready in her hand. Over by the fountain is where Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan, and Naoko-chan ate their lunch almost everyday. It was also where she had a few conversations with Eriol-kun, whom she missed greatly thought he had visited quite often.

The rest of the school was hidden by the wall and she skated on but she knew excatly what lay behind it. She turned the corner and looked through the fence.

She smiled.

That's where she had first talked to Syaoran. Well, not so much talk but argue. Nonetheless, that's where it had all started, really. Sakura had a strong urge to stop and just stay there, remembering everything that had happened between them. She had spoken to him a few days ago but he hadn't calle dher since. She knew he was busy and usually when he didn't call her, it meant she'd receive a letter from him. While Eriol-kun had visited often, she had seen Syaoran in four years. He rheart tightened a little at the thought. The fence continued to pass by her and soon, she went right by, turning the corner to where her high school was.

She attended the same high school her onii-chan had attneded. Thankfully, Tomoyo-chan had also been accepted there as well as many of her other friends. She was lucky that she had kept many friends but she had also made new ones. Sakura spotted a young girl near the entrance of the school. She was wearing the school uniform, a simple white blouse and blue skirt, her white leggings reached her knees and simple black shoes completed her uniform. She smiled at Sakura and waved at her. Sakura did the same and skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!"

"A very good morning to you, Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo-chan, a smile growing on her face. She took Sakura's hand in hers and walked together towards the school.

"How are you today?" she asked her best friend who was currently skating slowly next to her.

"I'm all right and you?"

"I'm all right knowing you are," said Tomoyo-chan happily.

A small sweat drop appeared on Sakura's head but it quickly vanished.

"Are we late?" asked Sakura as they entered the High school and headed to the lockers.

Tomoyo shook her head.

"Class should start in a couple of minutes, though."

Nodding, Sakura started unstrapping her skates. They greeted other girls who passed by them, making small conversation with them until they were ready. Once their shoes were put on, the y walked back to the classroom and waited for school to start. Though Sakura noticed High school was almost like her elementary school, many things were different as well. The subjects were harder, of course and she met many more students. Also, the teachers no longer changed rooms. Now it was the students who had to ravel to their designated classrooms. She and Tomoyo had most classes together but there were two classes in which they separated. Sakura remembered Tomoyo-chan's face as they found this out. Her eyes had filled with tears and her face had been one of absolute pain. Panicked, Sakura had tried to calm her down as Tomoyo-chan wailed sadly. It had been worse when the time came for her to separate. Sakura thought she would need a crane to separate Tomoyo-chan from herself but eventually, Tomoyo-chan had let her go and sadly went to her class. It had been weird for Sakura as well. Having Tomoyo-chan by her side was something that had always been there. It was a sort of habit, something that she could always remember. Now, those two classes were like going to a foreign country in some far away land.

In all, High School was not a bad experience for Sakura. She enjoyed her classes (except math) and had a lot of fun with her friends. But every once in a while, she would find herself turning around to t he desk behind her, as if expecting to see his familiar face. Instead, she would see her friend Rika-chan who would always smile at her when she did this.

She was happy with how things were going. So how come Sakura usually felt so sad at night?

The festival celebrating the start of autumn was not a national holiday. This was something Tomoeda celebrated every year though. The Tsukimine shrine was the popular place to throw such a celebration. The whole place was decorated with bright lights and festival music overflowed the place. Sakura and her family enjoyed the night thoroughly. She rode on the rides at the small carnival they had set up, her brother and Yukito-san had met up with her there and they took her to the bigger rides. Her otou-san had declined the invitation of mounting the rides so he waited for them at the beverage stand where he handed them drinks when they got off the rides. Tomoyo-chan had met up with her and they were left to do their own thing while her onii-chan and Yukito-san went off to hang out with her otou-san. As Sakura and Tomoyo walked, the leaves fell around them, happily blowing in the wind.

"Your brother and Tsukishiro-san seem to be very happy, Sakura-chan!"

"Mm. I'm glad!"said Sakura, smiling at the thought, "you were right, Tomoyo-chan. Seeing happy really does make me happy as well," she shook her head disbelievingly, "how do you know these things, Tomoyo-chan?"

Shrugging, her soft voice traveled through the air.

"When it comes to honest people, it's easy to read them because their feelings are almost always out in the open."

Sakura was about to respond when she stopped in her tracks. She looked around, a frown forming on her face.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura said nothing as she shivered, a cold feeling going down her spine. She continued to look around but there was no one peculiar. A few people had stopped to look at the young girl worriedly, her face was a mask of worry and confusion. Other than that, no one suspicious was near but Sakura could feel something in the pit of her stomach.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan? What do you feel?"

"I don't know, Tomoyo-chan," said Sakura shakily, "but there is something happening— or something that will happen, I'm not sure."

The feeling slowly diminished but it wouldn't completely leave her. Tomoyo-chan looked at her friend worriedly. It had been a long time since anything had happened in Tomoeda. By now, they were used to not having anything weird happen but now, Sakura seemed to be getting pulled back into it. To her surprise, Tomoyo saw Tsukishiro-san running towards them, an unreadable look on his face.

"Are you two all right?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Yukito-san, you felt it as well?"

Nodding, he looked around, the light hit his face oddly and made him look more like Yue than Yukito-san. Her onii-chan looked perturbed from behind Yukito-san.

"What did you feel, Sakura?" he asked seriously.

Trying to put it into words, she thought about it.

"A foreboding feeling, like something was going to happen."

"Isn't that what you felt, Toya?" asked yukito, turning to look back at him.

Touya nodded, much to Sakura's surprise.

"But– I thought you lost all your powers, onii-chan?"

"I thought so as well but lately, I've been feeling worried and anxious," he looked around them, his eyes scanning for anything dangerous, "I don't like this at all."

Yukito patted his shoulder, looking at Touya tenderly.

"Maybe we should go home."

Nodding, Touya agreed and together, the group walked back to their father. He made sure Sakura stayed close to him but she didn't notice. Her mind was too busy registering the facts. It had been a sense of foreshadowing the future, that's for sure. But whoever or whatever had set off this feeling in her had done the same for her brother. _What did this mean? Were her brother's powers coming back? _

The feeling would not leave her, even after they got home. Even Kero-chan had felt it though not as strongly as Sakura. He only warned her to be careful saying that 'the adventures weren't over just yet.'

Sakura was about to respond when her phone rang. She flopped on her bed and answered.

"Moshi moshi, this is Kinomoto speaking."

"Who is it?" asked Kero, floating next to her, surprised to see her mouth hang open.

"Eriol-kun?"


	3. Chapter 3

Revised. Again, thank you Miaka Kiri!

* * *

The last four years in Syaoran's life had not been pleasing. Before he had gone to Tomoeda, he would have done all that he does now without any complaints. After all, before Tomoeda, he had not known a life beyond Hong Kong. However, his patience was slowly diminishing and the fact that being a seventeen year old boy with a nasty temper was not helping him out either. After an entire day of Kung-fu practice, Syaoran Li was ready to hit the shower. His mother had sent him to practice on purpose. He was not scheduled for Kung fu today, in fact he was not scheduled for anything today. It was his day off, out of the whole week. 

Grumpy and in a foul mood, he relished in his hour long shower but it did nothing for his mood. When he sat down for dinner with his family, everyone noticed the dark aura coming from him. His four sisters were currently giggling at something the younger one had just said and paid no never mind to Syaoran. The dinner was all set and prepared, the only one missing was his mother.

As if reading his thoughts, Li Yelan entered the room, gracefully floating inside and noiselessly sitting down. The room went quiet as the servants passed out the food and tea. The five sibling waited until their mother took the first bite before they too started to eat. No one spoke. Dinner was eaten quietly and without any disturbance. That is, any disturbance that could be heard. Li Yelan was not a common woman. She was very powerful and as powerful as she was, she could feel the feeling rotting out of Siu Lohng.

"What is the matter with you today, Siu Lohng? You are disturbing the meal."

Syaoran may have been only seventeen years old but he managed to do things that many adults could not do. One of them was to control his emotions. He had an excellent control of his inner feelings and could willingly hide them if he pleased. However, he did not wish to hide them today which is why his mother was looking at him as if he had grown two heads, though his mother's face was expressionless as always. Her tone of voice had been more than enough to tell him what she was feeling.

"I am tired, mother. You have sent me to work out for an entire day."

"Yes I have. How was the practice, Siu Lohng?"

Sighing, he deliberately took a bite and chewed it carefully. He prolonged his answer, letting her question hang in the air. His sisters cast him with anxious looks, saying nothing but the knowing what he was doing. After a while, he spoke calmly,

"Tiring," was all he said.

Li Yelan swallowed her last piece of the meal and put down her bowl. Her aura got stronger and Syaoran knew she was upset. Whether she was powerful or not, they were all family and they could read each other perfectly well. Syaoran knew his mother's temper. She was as quick witted and spoken as he was. But she too could control herself and at this moment, her control was unwavering.

"I see. Well, maybe it is those phone calls you have so late at night that keeps you so tired, my son."

Looking at his bowl still filled with rice and sauce, he scoffed.

"I doubt it, mother. In fact, those phone calls are the only things keeping me sane."

His younger sister began to cough, obviously shocked at his tone of voice. He was not the only one. His older sister soon spoke.

"Siu Lohng, have you forgotten your respect? One does not speak to mother like that," her eyes bore into his, her lips set in a grim line, "she commands respect."

Nodding, Syaoran took another bite of his meal.

"I have never doubted that, sister. I do respect her. It is her choices I do not respect."

"Siu Lohng!"

"Take the plates out," commanded Li Yelan to the servants, "have them eat outside."

The servants bowed to her and did as she commanded. Syaoran remained seated as his sisters quietly left the room. Li Yelan signaled for the servants to retire as well. At last, only mother and son remained.

"What disrespect is this, Siu Lohng?" demanded his mother, not as other mothers would with anger and irritability but the question had strength in it.

"You know what it is, mother," said Syaoran, slightly mumbling by now. He did not wish to have this conversation all of a sudden.

"Yes, the girl from Japan, is it not?"

Syaoran nodded. He heard his mother sigh deeply. A quiet rose and fell between them.

"I respect the girl, I could go as far as to say I like her," began his mother thoughtfully but soon, a new kind of voice appeared, one that sounded like his mother but he did not recognize it,

"but you recognize what the elders say."

"No!" said Syaoran angrily, raising his eyes to meet his mother's, "I don't care what the elders say. Is it not up to you, the clan leader, to make the decisions?"

Sighing wearily, her fingers fidgeted with her chopsticks for a second before realizing what she was doing.

"You know it is not that simple, Siu Lohng."

"Why not?" Syaoran retorted angrily, "what is it that terrifies you so?"

"It's not as if you do not know how things are done here," continued his mother, raising her eyes to meet his, "they have the last say on determining a situation."

"But you are the Clan lead–"

"That's enough!" stated Li Yelan angrily, standing up which meant Syaoran had to stand up as well. She looked down on him (though she had to admit he was rapidly growing and soon, she would no longer have to be the one looking down) her eyes steely but harsh.

"I understand the situation more than you know, Siu Lohng and believe me when I say I have tried to help you," her eyes softened on her gaze towards h er son when his eyes fell to the floor, "you need patience and control of you temper is you wish to acquire what you want."

"I've tried, mother," said Syaoran quietly, his voice almost defeated, "but it gets hard after four years."

"Mmm–" he raised his eyes to meet hers and found a soothing smile on her face, "you are my son and as your mother, I want you to be happy."

She paused and looked at him thoughtfully, her mouth suddenly set in a grim line,

"But you also have responsibilities to your family."

Syaoran said nothing. They had had this conversation many times and it always ended this way. Yes, he had responsibilities and duties to the Clan and the elders. In other words, he could find no happiness in anything else except his duties and had to devote his life to them as his father once had and now, his mother.

Syaoran clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to his mother.

"May I be excused?"

His eyes never left the floor as his mother agreed. He turned around and walked to his room, ignoring his sisters stared and whispers. Along the way, he heard someone familiar by the door, a happy squealing voice and knew immediately who it was. He headed for the door, quickly recognizing her dark hair in a tall pony tail, a nice black skirt and pink shirt and a smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Neh, Syaoran!"

Without a word, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her along with him, angrily stomping up the stairs and into his room.

"Syaoran, what's the matter?" yelled Meilin, trying not to trip as he took giant steps, "Ow! Syaoran, it hurts!"

The door slammed loudly once they entered his room.

"Argh!"

"Syaoran?"said Meilin cautiously for she knew well what kind of mood he was in. She guessed that another talk had happened between he and his mother and it obviously had come to the same conclusion as before.

"She won't open her eyes!"

"Syaoran, do try to understand–"

"You as well, Meilin?"

"No, not me as well," said Meilin irritably as she sat next to Syaoran, who had flopped down face first on his bed and was mumbling something into his pillow. Meilin had to laugh. Though Syaoran had grown up a lot over the last few years, he still had the tendency to act like a child sometimes. Especially when he did not get what he wanted.

"But auntie has it pretty bad too," she continued, taking his hand and patting it consolingly, "she has to deal with those crazy old goons!"

Turning around, Syaoran put his arm on his forehead, looking up at the white ceiling thoughtfully.

"I do understand," he said after a while, "but I need someone to understand my feelings as well."

"I know, Syaoran."

While he was looking at the ceiling, Meilin had the chance to look at his face. He had grown out his childish look and now, he had a strong jaw line and more defined face shape. His hair had grown because the elders had decided to have Syaoran look the role of Clan leader as soon as possible. This only meant he would have to have shoulder length hair and then, during meetings with the elders, have it tied into a bun. It signified importance, or something, Meilin never quite understood. She and Syaoran had watched some of the nighttime drama their servants watched and most of the men had the bun the elders talked about. At first, they had made fun of such an old fashioned idea but after a while, Syaoran became irritated by the long hair and had cut it off.

Needless to say, the elders had thrown a major tantrum (as they liked to put it) and had punished him. Syaoran laughed about it now but back then, he had to do so much and study so hard that he found nothing funny for a couple of months. His hair was long again, though. Not shoulder length but it was getting there. He usually wore it back in a ponytail and only put it up in a bun when he had meetings with the elders.

His eyes were a dark ember, troubled and sad most of the time. Meilin wished she could do more for him but she was more tied than he was. She had no real power in the Clan since she had no magical powers. She was very respected in the martial arts area but other than that, she had no real say in anything. Even Syaoran, who had a lot more power than she did, could do nothing to change the elders mind.

"I'm sorry for dragging you," mumbled Syaoran sleepily, "but I needed to let off some steam."

She noticed his eyes were getting heavy and his voice drawled slightly. She smiled and stood up besides him.

"No worries, cousin."

He didn't hear her though. He was already half asleep. She smiled sadly as she caressed his face, not knowing if she was sad because of his problems or her feelings. She turned and left the room, walking slowly back to her own room. She didn't have such intense feeling for Syaoran anymore but he had been her first love. First loves don't really leave you. They're always with you, whether you want it or not. Meilin had stopped feeling so sad after a while and was soon his confidante. She was the only one who truly understood his feelings for Sakura for she had found it extremely easy to like her as well. She couldn't even hate her for having Syaoran fall in love with her and break off Meilin's engagement. But there were times when Meilin felt a strange pang of sadness, whether it was late at night or in the middle of an actinity. It was as if those feelings were dorment most of the time and when something triggered it, it caused her a hollow feeling somewhere in her chest. Memories of days past when she and Syoran were still engaged and Meilin had not worried he would fall for someone else.

It was kind of ironic that she hand Syaoran were better friends now than they were before. Perhaps it was the fact that she was no longer all over him or dragging him everywhere. In fact, nowadays, it was the other way around. He trusted her with her problems and they usually spent lots of time talking. Arriving in her room, she smiled ruefully. The feeling was gone now. It was replaced by a more relieving feeling, one that made her feel tons better. She had lost her first love but she had gained a great friend in him. She flopped on her bed as well and closed her eyes, a small smile on her face.

The next day Syaoran had the whole day to himself. Although he should have been studying, he waved the thought away as he looked out the window. The day was gorgeous. The sun was beaming down on them, tantalizing them to spend the day outside. Meilin decided they should have a picnic and to her surprise, Syaoran had agreed. As they were leaving for the park, his two younger sisters invited themselves as well and so, the group of four left for the park. The day was spent there, eating all the food Meilin had prepared and going to the festivals the park provided that day. By nightfall, they began to head back, laughing and playing all the way home. In all, Syaoran had enjoyed himself even though his sisters had decided to give him a lecture in the middle of the picnic. He had barely listened though and only nodded and promised not to do it again. His sisters were satisfied and continued to have fun but for a while, Syaoran's sour mood had returned. That's when Meilin had decided for them to go to the festivals and have fun there.

Upon returning home, they ate a quick dinner with their mother because she had to meet with the elders. Once she left, the two younger sisters, Meilin, and Syaoran excused themselves quickly, way too full to eat more. They went to the living room and decided to watch a movie. Afer an hour of fighting between action and romance, the three girls won and they started to watch "Dolls".

Though Syaoran thought it was a good movie, it was awfully long and halfway through it, he excused himself. The three girls barely recognized the fact that he had gone outside, all of them too busy crying and sobbing.

Syaoran breathed in deeply. The night air felt good in his lungs and made him feel peaceful. Though he had tried not to think of it, the issue returned to his head. He had promised her he would return for her. _How could he keep his promise? _It was harder than he thought it would be. The elders were composed of old men, all of them with the same view of things. They were close minded to anything different and new. To them, Syaoran had to reach eighteen to be the official Clan leader and take over his mother. In their eyes, a proper Clan leader had to be a young man, not a woman. That had been the case a few decades ago, when his father had been alive and the Li Clan leader. He had married his mother and shortly after Syaoran had been borne, he had died. Syaoran did not know why. His mother did not like talking about it and his father was rarely mentioned in the house. However, he did know that at the time, there were no men of eighteen which meant that the position of Clan leader went to his mother. The elders had no other option and it was out of extreme necessity that they gave the role to his mother.

That was the whole reason he was pushed to be clan leader, to take his mother's role. It wasn't fair, he decided as he looked at the stars. There were other eighteen year olds in the Li family. In fact, a cousin of his, Jun was the same age he was. _Why was he not chosen to be Clan leader?_ Jun was not as powerful as Syaoran in magic or in martial arts but he wanted to be Clan leader. He had said so to Syaoran once, a long time ago. He was no longer living in the mansion, though. He had been sent away to practice his magic with an elder.

It had all fallen on Syaoran. In the end, it was all up to him.

His head continued to reel in all of this when a shiver went u p his spine. It wasn't that cold outside but he knew it wasn't that. It had something to do with magic. Another shiver– and another. It settled in the pit of his stomach and wouldn't go away. The first thing that popped into his head was her. He found that he couldn't move properly and after struggling for a while, he raced into the room.

He had to call her, he knew it had something to do with her. He ran to his room, ignoring the shouts from his sisters. Something was wrong with Sakura and he had to know what. He dialed her number with worried eyes and heavy breathing but found her line to be busy. Cursing, he sat on his bed, phone in hand and decided to wait.

Those were one of the longest minutes of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

"Eriol-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan, it's me," said Eriol, his voice steady and quiet, like always, but there was a hint of worry behind it, "Are you quite all right?"

"Yes," said Sakura, wondering if he knew what had happened not so long ago, "did you feel it as well?"

"I did, Sakura-chan. It was quite overwhelming, I've never felt anything like it."

"What was it, Eriol-kun?"

There was a pause at the end of the line.

"I'm not sure," he said and Sakura could picture him, sitting on an old-fashioned chair, his deep blue eyes shining with worry but somehow, the picture made her more calm.

He continued, "but it felt like a foreboding of some kind, though it felt foreign, as if it did not belong to me. You need to keep your eyes open. Something's about to start."

Nodding, Sakura looked outside her window, as if to see something strange flying through the sky, like so many years ago when her adventures had just started for the first time. They continued to speak for a couple of more minutes, their discussion ending with a surprise.

"You're coming!"

"Mmm," said Eriol, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I've decided to return."

"I'm so glad!" said Sakura excitedly, "for how long, Eriol-kun?"

"I'm not sure, yet but this seems to be the best time to come."

After a few more words, they hung up. His voice still resided in her mind, no longer the voice of Clow Reed but his own, the softer, younger voice that belonged only to Eriol. Knowing he would come back, Sakura felt relieved. She knew he was not Clow Reed himself but his presence always made her feel safer.

She told Kero what they had spoken of and he too seemed a little relieved because of his upcoming visit.

"Well, if he felt it, then the magic behind it must have been very strong."

Casting a confused look in his direction, Kero explained.

"The reincarnation of Clow will always be with him but his powers must have long vanished. The only reason for his active powers a few years ago were all because of Clow's plans to help you. Now that that's over, his powers must have all but disappeared."

He floated over to the desk, sitting down at the very edge, using his own powers to lift the cards out of Sakura's backpack and making them float in front of him.

"The cards are restless as well," stated Sakura, her eyes returning to the window, briefly wondering what the stars were truly made of. Could they just be big balls of gas that looked so beautiful in the night sky— or could they be so much more than that?

"Mmmm," was all Kero said.

A couple of quiet second passed before the piercing ring of the cell phone interrupted their thoughts.

"Moshi Moshi! This is Kinomoto speaking."

"Are you all right, Sakura-chan?" came Tomoyo's worried voice from the other line, "did you get home all right?"

"Yes, Tomoyo-chan, thank you," said Sakura, smiling slightly at her friend's relieved sigh.

"Good. I'll sleep sound tonight then."

"Hoe?"

"Good night, Sakura-chan."

"Good night, Tomoyo-chan."

Sakura had barely any time to bring her phone down to her side again before it rang once more.

"You sure are popular today, Sakura," said Kero, his eyebrows raised at the phone's almost- annoyed kind of ringing.

"Moshi Mo—"

"Sakura!"

A soft gasp escaped from her lips, her heart skipped a beat.

"Syaoran?"

"The kid?" screeched Kero, his eyes widening as he looked at Sakura.

"Are you ok? What happened?"

His tone was almost bordering panic.

"Uhh–" said Sakura, caught off track for some strange reason. It wasn't as if she had never talked to him on the phone before. Maybe her nerves were still unsteady.

"I'm ok, Syaoran. Did you feel it as well?"

"Of course I did," he said, his tone calming down a little but the worry remained, "it wasn't like anything I've sensed. It felt like it wasn't mine–" he paused, searching for the words to explain the feeling but Sakura caught him off.

"Foreign?" said Sakura quietly, echoing Eriol-kun's words.

"Yeah, how did you–"

"Eriol-kun felt it too and so did my onii-chan!"

"That's strange," he stated, "but you said your brother is slowly re-gaining his powers, right?"

"It seems so," said Sakura, looking at Kero who had just flown next to her and was intently listening to their conversation.

"Well, I don't like this," said Syaoran, his voice strong and definite as he continued to speak, "Al of this funny business is supposed to be over."

He sighed deeply before speaking again.

"I'll convince my family sonehow but I'm going over there."

"What!" yelled Sakura, her head snapping up at his words, making Kero yell as well as she half knocked him over, "But you said—"

"I know what I said but this is what I'm saying now," he spoke with such a certain defenitiveness that Sakura did not argue.

"Eriol-kun is coming as well."

Syaoran mumbled something that Sakura could not quite catch but she laughed. Even though the three of them got along, Syaoran seemed to be unable to let boyhood rivalry go.

"Syaoran?"

"Huh?"

"I'm glad you're coming."

A pause.

"Me too."

* * *

Easier said than done. If there was ever a time Syaoran would test his courage, it was now. Though he knew what he must do, the task of actually doing it was proving to be a worthy opponent. He lost count of how many times he must have raised his hands to open the chanmber doors, only to bring them back down again and sigh, aggravated. After a while of repeating this, he finally summoned the courage once he remembered her voice.

"I'm glad you're coming," she had said to him.

"Ohh ho, I'm coming, all right!"

Determined he opened the chamber doors to meet the elders, who were currently having a semi-formal meeting with his mother. They did not mind his intrusion, they did not even acknowledge him until he stood in front of them and cleared his throat. Currently, they were sitting in a circle, speaking of who knows what but syaoran found out he didn't care. His fist touched his palm in respect towards the elders and his mother and bowed low and long. When his eyes finally rose to meet the elders, they were all looking at him with a look of mild surprise.

"To what do we own this rare visit, Siu Lohng?" asked an elder from his mother's right, his face showed the signs of age with wrinkles that looked as if they had been forged with fire, deep and strong in shape.

"I have a request."

He found his voice echoing in the room, unsettling him a bit for some reason. He mentally shook himself.. This was not the time to lose his nerve!

"State it," said the same elder.

"First, I would like to ask something," he looked around the room, at the impassive faces of so many of the elders, "did any of the elders feel a strange feeling yesterday night, an uneasiness?"

The heads of many of the elders cocked to the side, thinking back to what seemed to be too long ago. After a while, they responded negatively, surveying him with a new curiosity.

"Why do you ask, Siu Lohng?" asked a different elder, one from his mother's right side and the only one that Syaoran could say he truly liked. He too had deep wrinkles, as many as the others had. However, his wrinkles seemed to be a part of him ,as if he had been born with them. They were a part of his face, accepted and absorbed by his very being. His hair was silver, different from the white hair the other elders sported but the same length and style. However, it was his open mind that Syaoran liked so much. He was more tolerant than the others and more willing to admit that the world had changed from what it had once been. He also seemed to understand his feelings for Sakura and was willing to help him as much as he could. In Syaoran's eyes, the small piece of information he had been given by the elder was more than enough for Syaoran and he would be forever thankful.

"Well, I sensed something unsettling yesterday night. However, it was not a feeling of mine but someone else's," he paused here, more because he was afraid of their response than for dramatics.

"Who's was it?"

This time it was his mother who asked.

"Kinomoto's."

A murmur ran through the elders but his mother said nothing. An old man from Syaoran's right spoke first.

"Siu Lohng, it seems you want to start this conversation yet again," he sighed wearily, " but the answer will be the same."

"It is not a matter of my relationship with Kinomoto," stated Syaoran simply, looking at the group of men with unwavering eyes, "I fear it has to do something with the cards—"

"The cards do not concern you anymore," said Kaling-san, the elder Syaoran liked the best, "I suggest you do not the cards as an opening statement."

"What is it you wish?" asked Li Yelan, knowing her son very well, she knew he wouldn't come out of nowhere, demanding to be heard once again. Not when they had talked about this before. There had to be a better reason.

"To go back to Tomoeda."

A louder murmur ran through the elders once again, this time their tone was more indignant and annoyed.

"I've had just about enough, Siu Lohng," stated Li Yelan angrily, her beautiful face forming into a frown, an irritated frown, "You do not interrupt a meeting of the elders for this nonsense."

"It's not nonsense, mother," stated Syaoran, just as angrily as his mother, "If I really wanted a chance to convince you to let me be with Sak— Kinomoto, then I wouldn't have just burst in!"

He shook his head, trying to calm himself.

"I felt something yesterday and I fear there might be trouble."

"Very well, let's say there is something happening," started yet another elder reasonably, "How would that concern you if the cards are not yours?"

Syaoran's eyes traveled to Kaling-san for a moment and he could swear he saw the tiniest of nods. Certain of what he was about to say, he plunged ahead.

"I may not be the guardian of the cards but I am the Cardcaptor's guardian."

A pregnant silence filled the room, overwhelmingly so and to the point where Syaoran panicked a little. It was his mother who broke it once and for all.

"It is true, Siu Lohng, that you are her guardian," her eyes bore into his, "but she has two more guardians at her service, how would you make a difference?"

Trying to bite back a harsh retort, he instead spoke with integrity.

"It is my responsibility and as part of the Li clan, I've always been taught to follow my duty."

Yet another small silence followed and Syaoran felt as if he was playing a tricky game of chess. His gambit seemed to be working, though and for that he was grateful. He became even more grateful when Kaling-san spoke.

"Is there any way we could stop you, Siu Lohng?"

Syaoran shook his head.

"Well," continued Kaling-san, his voice soft but echoing throughout the chamber with power, "I do not see the point of trying to stop the young master if he is obviously so willing to do his duty."

His eyes scanned the other elders, as if daring them to tell him otherwise.

"After all, it is taught that one must always follow their responsibility, especially in our Clan."

Li Yelan looked as if she had just witnessed the birth of a two headed dragon. Her eyes were full with surprise as the other elders ever so reluctantly nodded their heads.

"Well?" asked Kaling-san to Li Yelan, "It is your choice as well, Li Yelan."

"Doesn't seem like much of a choice," said Li Yelan quietly but raised her hand at her son, signaling him to come closer. He did and was most relieved when she pulled his ear, in front of all the elders, as if scolding him before giving her assent.

Syaoran had to strain to not jump and shout in triumph.

Checkmate.

* * *

Sakura was extremely happy when she saw eriol. He was always so handsome but age seemed to really like him. It seemed the older he got, the more handsome he became. Sakura had to bite back the image of having to swat love-struck girls away with a fly swatter. Like always, he brought much needed comfort to Sakura. It was almost like having another big brother, though with her onii-chan, one was more than enough. He came to visit her at her house and they spent the afternoon talking, catching up and for once, really just hanging out like teenagers were supposed to. Tomoyo-chan soon joined them and their conversation soon became a movie marathon of Sakura's Cardcaptor days.

Sakura had to admit that watching the videos with friends was a lot more fun than by herself. She had laughed herself silly at her earlier mistakes, when Syaoran was still mean to her and her confidence was rock bottom. Eriol would keep commentary of some of the cards of Clow Reed, using his memory of how they were created and why.

In all, spending the day with her friends felt extremely good. She couldn't stop smiling and for that day, the feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach had vanished. Eriol informed her that Tomoyo had invited him to stay in her house and Tomoyo would not accept no as an answer.

After they left, Sakura flopped on her bed, her face shining towards the ceiling.

"Eriol seems to be well," said Kero, floating next to her and flopping beside her, "but it sure is weird to have him here."

"Clow's presence in him is less prominent, though," said Sakura, turning to survey little Kero who was looking at the ceiling with great intensity.

"Mmmm,"

"But I'm so happy he's back!" sighed Sakura, shifting to her right to look at Kero more clearly, "It always feels better when he's here."

She thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Should we tell Yue-san he's back?"

"He knows," said Kero, nodding slightly, "he's not far away, I'm sure he felt his presence, no matter how much his presence has diminished."

Sakura sat up, looking at her calendar at the table and sighing.

"One more day..."

"For?" asked Kero curiously.

"Until Syaoran comes back!"

"Ahhh, the kid,"

Frowning a little, Sakura reprimanded him,

"He has a name, you know," she continued in the same tone, "and besides, he's seventeen years old, that does not qualify him as a kid."

"He's seventeen?" asked Kero, his curiosity peaking.

Sakura nodded at him and was most surprised when his face fell.

"Why?"

Kero shook his head, as if to say that it was nothing and continued to look up at the ceiling. Feeling a little unsettled, Sakura's gaze returned to the calendar.

One more day...


	5. Chapter 5

The alarm woke her up at the same time as always and just like always, Sakura woke up much later than intended. Though Kero was used to it by now, how this girl could not wake up with the alarm ringing right by her ear was beyond him. Still, she ate breakfast with her father and got a call from her brother. The usual weekday stuff. She ran out of her house and skated to her High School, meeting Tomoyo and going to class. However, her hands would not stop shaking and neither would her leg. Her hair was becoming a mess from how much Sakura toyed around with it. Tomoyo said nothing but giggled. Her friend was antsy today and she could not blame her. After four years, she would get to see Syaoran again and that was not a small thing. Sakura had changed a lot from her Cardcaptor days. She was a strong young woman now, out-spoken but still sensitive to other people's feelings. Her hair was a little longer than what it had once been, shoulder length but the two bangs that framed her face never grew and was never cut. They were an extension of her body, a part of her still. Her eyes had changed, though not drastically but Tomoyo (who seemed to take lesson: Sakura 101) noticed the change. Her eyes had once been emerald green, glowing with a child-like light and captured the hearts of many grown-ups and elders. They trademarked her innocence and purity. Now, though still as innocent as ever, her eyes had turned a deeper shade, a dark jade that seemed to bore into your own eyes as she looked at you. But at the moment, her eyes were facing the window, as if to find some sort of cure to her nervousness there. Tomoyo glanced at her teacher and made sure he was writing on the board before reaching out to grab Sakura's hand. She was startled and turned to look at Tomoyo, who gave her a reassuring smile. Sighing, she grasped her friends hand and turned back to face the board, the butterflies in her stomach subsiding a little.

The bell rang at last, signaling the end of the class day. Sakura had a hard time getting up from her desk. Syaoran had told her he would pass by her house as soon as he got settled so she wanted to run to her house but at the same time, never get there. The very prospect of meeting him again terrified her and excited her.

"Ohhhh, Tomoyo-chan, I'm going to die!"

"Sakura-chan, I'm sure it's just the nervousness talking,"

"No, Tomoyo-chan, I can't do this..."

Giggling, Tomoyo led her friend down the hall, keeping a stream of encouraging words to keep her friend's spirits up.

The day was a beautiful one, the sun was shining bright and the air was blowing a gorgeous breeze. It was not cold and not hot but a small space in the middle, such days were not often giving to the town but when they were, the town went out of their way to enjoy them. Already, they could see people setting outside chairs and people flocking to have a nice cup of tea and bask in the day.

Tomoyo had an idea.

"You don't want to go home, right?"

A nod from Sakura told her what she needed to know.

"Well then, let's have a nice cup of tea first then,"

Another nod, this time with more enthusiasm than before. They started walking down the steps of the High School, Sakura seemingly more happy than she was before. Her frown was gone, her eyes were happier and now, she kept up the conversation without any help from Tomoyo. As they made their way to the small coffee shop in front of the High School, Sakura stopped suddenly. Her face had gone blank, trying to figure out something. Tomoyo became worried as sakura became immobile and tried to snap her back.

"Sakura-chan? Are you ok?" said Tomoyo-chan worriedly, stepping in front of her and looking into her eyes. She was surprised to see tears well up in a sea of jade. Tomoyo instantly thought the worst. The feeling had come back and it was hurting her. Shocked to see the tears in her friend's eyes, she looked around for help and was about to reach for her cell phone when Sakura turned around, slowly and it seemed, hesitantly. Suddenly, Tomoyo saw what it was all about.

Sakura did as well.

A strange feeling had come over quite suddenly. A shock and a certain sadness that was torn between a sad sad and a happy sad. If it sounds weird, the feeling itself felt worse. Sakura had always been sensitive to other's feelings, whether she wanted to or not. Now, the feeling overwhelmed her and the sick compulsion to turn around took over her. She knew who she would see, had no doubt, and though after four years (as well as during those four years) she had longed to see him, now she wanted to run away. Why this had her so scared, she did not know. Maybe it was the fact the very presence of him would destroy everything she had worked for all these years. After the first year, she had been sad at almost every sight that reminded her of him but after that first year, she had returned to her normal self and undergone changes that had nothing to do with Syaoran. She felt as if she was a completely different person than what Syaoran had fallen in love with. What if he was as well?

Nevertheless, she turned around and faced the boy she had pined over for so many years. She saw that he had changed too, almost unperceptively as she had. His physical appearance was the first thing she noticed, of course. He had shot up like a bean stalk, tall and long but not gangly. His muscles were well defined, even for a seventeen year old but not over done. She figured he wasn't weight lifting or anything of the sort but had been trained in martial arts, which kept him slim but strong. His face had grown out of the boyish looking features and had been replaced with stronger, more grown-up features. Even from a distance, his eyes were still the same amber color they had always been, able to entrance her with a single look. His hair was longer than she expected. In fact, long enough to be tied back in a ponytail but the same unruly bangs fell over his eyes.

The world seemed to stop for them. He walked closer to her, taking his time to drink her in and before he knew it, he was face to face with her. He looked back at Tomoyo who gave him a smile and shuffled away, a huge grin plastered on her face. He gaze returned to Sakura, who had to look up to look at Syaoran's face, and that was the first thing she said to him after four years of meeting him.

"I'm going to have such a neck spasm from trying to look at you," she mumbled and as if catching what she had just said, she blushed. He smile down at her and reached for her. It was a small movement, barely perceptible to anyone else but to Sakura, it could have moved the world.

She threw her arms around his neck and threw herself at him. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her close to him, inhaling the scent of flowers she exuded, whether it was the scent of the flower she was named after or not, he didn't care. She felt good against him, she fit, her tiny form fit perfectly against him and her warmth was a kind of warmth he had not felt in a long time. While she buried her face in his neck, he did the same but in her hair for he could reach down to her neck properly.

After a while, none of them knew how long exactly, they broke apart a little. Not knowing what to say, sakura just felt relieved. She was finally where she wanted and longed to be for so long. She smiled at him and suddenly, things changed. She stepped aside and grabbed his arm, telling him all about how she was doing and leading him to the coffee shop where she and Tomoyo had originally been going to. The only thing he got to say, in between her worry-filled sentences of being a bad friend to Tomoyo, was that she had already gone to the shop and was probably still there, waiting for them.

Right as rain, Tomoyo gave Syaoran a hearty hello and announced she had ordered for them. As if nothing had changed over the last four years or rather, as if the last four years had never happened, they happily sat down and enjoyed their food. Tomoyo invited Eriol to join them, much to Sakura's requests.

By late afternoon, the small group of two boys and two girls sat happily as the sun started to dim down on the intensity of its rays and the light breeze took over. They talked as teenagers talked, much about nothing and at times, even small pieces of wisdom were said, though teenagers never notice them at the time. They touched on the topic at hand at one point but they did not linger at that. Instead, they repeated the same as always, "everything would turn out ok", and continued their conversation. As the sun started to set, Tomoyo invited them over to her house and they all graciously accepted. It had been a long day and they were pretty exhausted. After a cup of tea and some more biscuits, Sakura received a call from her father, saying it was late and for her to come back home. Sakura said goodbye to everyone, making plans for tomorrow and accepted Syaoran's invitation to walk her home though rather shyly.

The night air was crisp and Tomoeda wasn't a big city with overwhelming lights so the stars could be easily seen. For a while, they said nothing but enjoyed the night air. After a while, though, Sakura turned to look at this profile. It hadn't changed much in the four years but there was a certain maturity to it. His jaw line was stronger, more defined, his eyes burned constantly with a strange fire, he was no longer the boy she had known.

Had she changed as well?

Once they reached her house, Syaoran mumbled his goodbye and turned to walk away.

"Wait!"

He turned around quite surprised.

"Um, do you want to come in, maybe–?" she began quietly but to her surprise, Syaoran smiled at her and nodded. Delighted, she led him inside, where very little of her house had changed. Her father was at the kitchen, probably finishing the meal and they went to say hi to him first. He welcomed Syaoran into their home and invited him for dinner. Syaoran accepted gratefully.

"Oh, and Sakura-chan, your brother and Yukito-san are in the living room."

"Hoe?"

She went to the living room where in fact, Yukito and Touya were sitting, chatting and watching television. Kero was also there, eating a big piece of strawberry cake her dad had just made this morning. She saw Syaoran's surprised expression at the sight of Kero moving so freely around them but Sakura explained.

"I saw no need to keep this all a secret when we obviously knew the truth already," she said with a smile as her brother and Yukito said hello. Her brother gave Syaoran a rough hand-shake as if to measure the manliness of him through their hands. Sakura and yukito shook their heads. Though bolts of lighting were no longer being passed by each other's eyes, Touya still wore the expression of not liking Syaoran.

"Hello, kid" said Kero, his mouth overstuffed with cake and a strawberry hanging off the corner of his mouth, "So you came back after so many years, huh?"

"It's been four years," dead panned Syaoran with a nasty glance at him.

"Eh, potato potatoe"

"So," said Sakura nervously, cutting into their fight, "what are you guys doing here?"

Not that Sakura wasn't used to their fighting but all of a sudden, she became painfully aware of the air around her. It was not hatred for the two did not hate each other but a strong dislike. It was enough to make Sakura uncomfortable.

Touya blushed a little but Yukito took over.

"Well, Toya didn't feel completely comfortable with you being here by yourself after the incident happened so we came in to check on you,"

"Oh" said Sakura, smiling at her brother, "worried, were we?"

"Not very," mumbled Toya and Yukito laughed softly.

"Dinner's ready," said her father as he entered the living room, apron still on and a smile on his face.

They all filed into the kitchen, the delicious smell of food wafting through the air and making their stomachs rumble. As soon as they settled and said, "Time to eat!", they dug into their foods. Not a word passed between th em for the first few minutes, all of them too busy enjoying their food. After a while, mumbles of appreciation for the food and Sakura's dad started a conversation. Kero and Yukito talked while Sakura poked fun of her brother's softness. Syaoran got to talk to Sakura' dad, nothing too serious for her father was not the kind of man to interrogate a boy Sakura liked as if he was a jail convict.

By the time the food was gone and their desert had been munched away, Syaoran announced he should be getting home. It was rather late and even though Tomoeda was not the center for criminals, it could be dangerous for him to walk home so late. He had rented out an apartment for a while, near where Sakura lived, so the walk wouldn't be too long. Still, he said his goodbyes and thank you's to her family and walked with her to the front door.

"Thanks for inviting me over," he said to her with a smile, looking up while he changed his shoes.

"You're always welcomed here," she answered quietly.

They kept quiet for a while as Syaoran got up and took this moment to really look at her. She hadn't changed much, the same mannerism were there. She still looked down when shy or nervous, her eyes were hooded by the long eyelashes and her hair still framed her face. But she was older now, older than he had expected. Of course he knew she was going to be sixteen when he came here, he wasn't stupid. But now that he was here and actually looking at her, it seemed weird seeing his first love as a teenager, grown up and almost a woman. Time had sure changed things between them because although the same feelings were there, a not yet fully bloomed romance, there was also the awkwardness that came with this certain age.

For now, he would settle with just looking at her and letting the feelings go. What else could he do?

"We're still on for tomorrow, right?"

Snapping back to reality, he gave her a blank look before he realized what she was talking about and nodded. She smiled at him, the same happy smile that shone across her face over the most trivial (and in his opinion) unimportant things. He knew, though, that it took little to make her happy and for her, trivial things were still a big thing, at least for her.

So, he smiled back.

He turned and opened the door, breathing in the night air as he stepped outside.

"I'll pick you ap after school, ok?"

She nodded eagerly.

He was about to walk away when she called out to him. Turning back, he saw a strange expression on her face and for a moment, he thought he had done something wrong. She just waved at him, shaking her head to say it was nothing and smiled, though rather as if she was straining to smile. He turned once again and walked away. This time he felt it too. As if something was missing from the whole day up to now. But Syaoran was not used to these feeling Sakura brought out in him and dismissed them. Besides, he would see her again tomorrow and he would decide there what it was.

Hands in his pockets, he felt the night air cool his body and for the first time in a long time, he felt he belonged.

* * *

Next, the action! 


End file.
